NASSP Bulletin

The research efforts on effective schools have heen extensive, states this writer, who Prresents a checklist that principals can easily use to help improve their schools.

while this is a time of con troversy for the nation's schools, there are some signs of emerging confidence, and the situation is improv ing, says this au thor, who offers a model for schools seeking to improve.

The candidate selection chart is a tool designed to as sist those who want to make their few opportunities to select new teaching personnel count, says this writer, who explains the chart in this article.

A good school should be run in much the same manner as a good business, says this writer, who offers a series of pro cedures for enhane ing the school envi ronment.

Communication is the lifeblood of the school accord ing to this writer, who outlines the actions needed to develop an effec tive communica tions system.

Surveying local citizens about what they think of their schools can be done easily, advises this writer, who be lieves that princi pals can use polls to improve their schools. He de scribes how in this article.

There are many ways to make the beginning teaching experience more productive, says this writer, who offers some advice for the admin istrator.

If program evaluation is to be truly effective, ad ministrators must become interested and active par ticipants, say these writers, who report here on a survey of administrator atti tudes about evalu ation.

The potential for improvement in ed ucational quality by converting to a year-round school operation must in volve far more than the simple con version of the school calendar, say these writers, who report the re sults of a study of one district that did convert.

This article reports the experi ence of 12 school districts in Colo rado that have ex perimented with the concept of holding school only four days a week. It also discusses the pos sibilities for in structional im provement that this innovative schedule suggests.

This writer explains how a sur vev of staff, stu dents, and com munity members was used to develop an equitable and effective dress and behavior code for his school.

Is your school keeping abreast of our rapidly changing world? This writer offers some sug gestions to help administrators an swer that question.

Here's the second of two arti cles describing the research on teacher effec tiveness. Part I was in the December 1982 Bulletin. This article clarifies the subject by present ing a model that de lineates the major categories involved in assessing teacher effectiveness.

The drug and alcohol abuse pre vention program described on these pages is functioning effectively in West chester County, New York, and can provide a model for administrators everywhere.

This writer provides a checklist that can he used by administrators who wish to evaluate or restructure their interviewing techniques.

The teacher as an ecologist. recog nizes the wide vari ety of elements in the teaching envi ronment and at tempts to place them in harmony with one another, says this writer.

After a year in existence, this I/D/E/A program for the professional growth of princi pals was evaluated highly by the par ticipants. The au thor describes the program, its bene fits, and how prin cipals can initiate one in their district.

The principal plays a critical role in ensuring the suc cess of a school's program for the gifted student. Competencies required to function effectively in this role are listed in this article.

This writer provides a dozen suggestions for the principal who wishes to be effective.

Principals as educational leaders must know the forces that in fluenee their schools' instruc tional programs. The writer of this article explores the scientific cre ationism movement and offers his own insights about whether it threat ens science teach ing and academic integrity.